Day 56 - Jul 27, 2008 - Belleville, Ontario, Canada

Day 56 Today’s Plan; Drive the length of southern Ontario.

We rise early to get away early. Nice plan. We leave a half hour later than scheduled. No problem. We have all day. Actually, today will be a long one. We want to be at our friend’s place somewhere north of Belleville by late afternoon. A 6+ hour drive. We start out in farming country north of London, but have no idea what to expect on the route we have chosen across northern Toronto. It’s a strange thing, but lots of thoroughfares in Ontario go north and south, while few go any distance east and west. As a result our route jumps from one section of highway to another. The worst section is from Brampton to Markham. We seem to hit every other light and then the skies open up and visibility at times is little glimpses of the road as the wipers slash back and forth on high speed. The Temperature drops from 27 to 18. Then, the storm abates as abruptly as it started while we continue eastward. The city gives way to farmland again, the traffic thins and the driving becomes less hectic, the pace less hurried. Our wandering way becomes a peaceful journey down country roads, occasionally passing through a small town or village.

Eventually, we arrive at our long time friends’ place near Roslin. Debbie and Chuck happen to be out in their yard and wave us in. We celebrate our reunion by having a fight with one of their driveway maple trees. We decide the altercation is a draw. The awning is still attached to the trailer although the fridge vent isn’t, and the tree lost one limb and had another damaged. Oops. Watch the overhead, Bob.

We get to visiting right away and into the beer. After one beer, Chuck gets a ladder and he and I assess the damage. One awning arm is twisted at the end where the branch hooked it, but is intact otherwise. The vent is ripped apart. The mounting posts are on the trailer still while the cover is on the ground. Chuck, ever the maintenance man, immediately sees a repair with some duct tape and epoxy. But, first, we must eat. We all go to a nearby Steakhouse that serves Sunday Prime rib. It is delicious. After dinner, we are given a tour of Belleville. We see some of the beautiful old buildings that we have come to love. When we come home we temporarily refit the vent cover and put a block of wood on it in case it gets windy, then retire to the house away from the bugs.